New Friends
by Loopy1147
Summary: Beatrice Prior is new at her school. While she doesn't make a habit of initiating conversation or introducing herself to other people, there is one student who draws her attention. He's as anti-social as she is, and she's determined to break down his walls. For those of you who follow my other story, Random AU One-Shots, this is from that. Thanks for reading, and be sure to review!
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey guys! This story is currently posted in my other work, Random Au One-Shots, but I'll remove it soon. I wanted to separate the two, since that one really is primarily for one-shots, and this is a bit long. I have it marked as complete for now, but I'll probably come back and add more later on. Thanks for reading, and be sure to let me know what you think! - Loopy**_

Tris tried her best to focus on the teacher's words, to ignore the relentless stare of the boy across the room. But she could feel the intensity of his eyes, burning into the back of her skull, and it was awfully distracting.

When the bell finally sounded, the boy didn't move. Every other student in the class rose from their seat and slowly but surely filed out of the room; his gaze remained on Tris, who was still frozen in her chair.

She waited a few moments, counted to five inside her head before taking a deep, shaky breath, repositioning her bag over her shoulder.

The boy stayed still. His eyes followed her out of the room. When she had crossed the threshold, she heard shuffling come from the classroom, the squeak of a chair, the crinkle of paper, and then footsteps.

Tris drifted through the hallway in a daze, searching subconsciously for Christina. It being only her first day, she needed Christina for the news of the school. To know who was who and what was what. She was the only person who'd been bothered to speak to Tris all day.

Just as the thought flitted through her mind, she caught a glimpse of dark skin and boots, signifying Christina's presence. She walked up to Tris with a warm smile. "What's up, Tris? You look like something's bothering you," she asked.

Tris shook her head, only slightly. "There's just a person in my math class. I don't know who he is. I just wanted to find out his name."

Christina raised her eyebrows. "You came to the right girl. I know every guy in this school."

Tris didn't mention how uncomfortable that comment made her, having had no involvement with guys since the first grade.

"What did he look like?" Christina pressed, leading Tris to her locker so they could go to lunch.

Tris was contemplating how to explain the boy without over-dramatizing him when she was jostled to the side by a shoulder clashing with hers. She looked over her shoulder, searching for the perpetrator, only to be met with the same ocean eyes she had been thinking of.

He stared back at her for only a moment, getting lost in the storms he saw there, before mumbling an apology and continuing on his way.

"Tris?" Christina's voice pierced her reverie, only a little. She startled a bit in surprise, but she shook her head, shook the feeling off.

"He looked like that," Tris muttered.

Christina's look was incredulous, almost annoyed. "That was him. Out of all the hot guys in our school, you picked the quiet, unsocial one first. It usually takes kids a few weeks to even realize he's here."

Tris stared at her, confused and a little dumbfounded at the thought that she had "picked" a guy on her first day of school. She'd simply wanted to know who he was. But she didn't feel like defending herself, at least not right now, so she simply sighed and asked for his name.

"Tobias Eaton. You don't really have much of a chance with him, considering he doesn't seem to want to talk to anyone here," Christina explained, looking more aggravated than hurt.

I don't know why I don't blame him, Tris thought bitterly, twisting her locker's dial. She didn't mean that, of course; she had a feeling her and Christina would be good friends for a long time after today. "Hey, you can head on without me. I'll see you later," Tris told her, speaking as if she was doing her a favor.

Christina nodded and happily continued to lunch as Tris stared after her. What a… a… But she couldn't find the right word for it at first. What a girl.

Every table consisted of an assortment of freaks. Populars. Athletes. Nerds. Druggies. Emos. There was no table where people weren't classified. And no lion dared to leave its cage.

As Tris contemplated joining Christina with some of her fellow volleyball teammates, her eyes fell on Tobias Eaton, sitting at a table empty enough to be considered neutral. She stepped toward him with her lunch in hand, sliding into the seat across from him.

Tobias's head shot up, and he found himself staring into crystalline hurricanes. He was wary, but he was intrigued. Who was this girl?

Tris met his gaze challengingly, almost losing herself in his bottomless blue eyes.

"What are you doing?" His voice was low, quiet, unrehearsed. It took Tris a moment to realize he had been referring to her sitting here.

She shrugged. "This seemed to be the only table where people aren't forced to be anything."

Her eyes burned with a blue flame, bright and intense as they bore into him. He was fascinated by her straightforward response, by her so blatantly going against the social structures of the school. She drew him in, she had since she'd walked into math class, and he couldn't bring himself to look away, even if he wanted to.

He smiled. It was tight and crooked, but it was sincere, whether she could tell or not. "What's your name?"

She smiled, too. Hers was sure of itself, but shy. "Tris."

"Tobias." It was more of a grunt than a response. He didn't seem to want to indulge in conversation.

But she pressed on. "I know," she said, hoping it would peak his interest. He didn't want to be pestered, and if it were anybody else, she'd let him be. But he was inexplainably captivating.

She wanted to know that this wouldn't be the last time they spoke. She wanted to hear his voice again after this, to learn why Christina had called him so unsocial.

She told herself that she wouldn't continue trying conversation if he didn't answer with something welcoming, something that screamed I want to continue talking with you.

He looked up from his sandwich, mid-bite, sapphires peering over the wheat crust. "Of course you do," he smirked, shaking his head slightly and stuffing his mouth with ham, cheese, and bread. His voice was firm, but not ending, not like he wanted her to shut up. Not friendly, by any means, but not mean, either. It was probably his normal way of speaking, simply due to his lack of practice at social interaction.

Tris grinned, not as shy this time. Her stormy eyes burned fiercely with determination, turning unquestionably blue as she looked at the brown-haired, sharp-jawed boy before her. Whatever his tone was trying to say, it wasn't shut up, and she found herself hopeful. Tobias was reserved, no doubt, but he was trying. At least a little bit.

They didn't attempt any further conversation for the rest of lunch. Eye contact was made periodically, each making sure the other was still there, that they hadn't rethought their decision to remain seated together, and every brief glance was followed by a just-as-brief smile. But its length didn't waver its sincerity.

When the bell rang, Tobias sprang from his seat and hurried to the door, nodding slightly to Tris on his way. She sighed, brows furrowed, but she had a smile on her face as she left the lunchroom. It was unreasonable to think he'd want to walk with her after they'd just met. No, she had to take this one baby step at a time if she wanted to understand this boy.

Christina's words came to mind, echoing "He doesn't seem to want to talk to anyone here," and bounced off the walls in her head. As she'd thought then, Tris wondered why Christina saw any reason Tobias would want to speak with someone so straightforward. He was quiet, reserved, private. She'd had no problem with him at all when she'd approached him with her own shy quietness.

They were similar, in a way. That thought alone kept a gentle smile on the corners of her mouth for the rest of the day.


	2. Chapter 2

They continued this routine, this daily glance-back-and-forth during math and sit-quietly-next-to-each-other during lunch. Tris should have been growing weary, with the lack of progress. She knew someone like Christina would have been, someone who didn't have the patience or temperament to wait like that. But Tobias was intriguing, and she didn't want to scare him away. Especially since he didn't seem as uncomfortable with her presence this past couple of days. It was a relief, to say the least, when she'd walked into lunch after two weeks of their silent interaction and he had met her eyes straight on with a smile on his face.

She hadn't hesitated to smile back.

Today marked the third day of this new development, and Tris had finally decided to try conversation once more. She felt she had a better understanding of his comfort zone, in a way. He needed the time to process things, and she could relate to that.

That smile had signified that he was done with that step, that she could initiate the next one.

Or at least, that's what she told herself, to keep her courage.

"Hey, Tris!" Christina's voice was even more recognizable than it had been before, now that she was closer to Tris.

Tris smiled as she turned from her locker to meet her friend on the walk to lunch. Christina certainly wasn't one to hold anything back, and she looked as if whatever she wanted to say would burst out of her at any second.

"Hi, Chris," Tris replied, even more calm than usual, to enhance Christina's eagerness.

Chris seemed pleased by the effect as she elbowed Tris's arm. "Some of my girlfriends are having a party this weekend, and you should come. We're having a Marvel marathon to catch everyone up before the latest movie comes out."

"That sounds cool…" Tris said automatically, trying to appease her friend. She loved Marvel, but a party with tons of people she didn't know wasn't the most appealing prospect.

Christina elbowed her again. "You can bring Tobias Eaton, too, if you want. He could use the social practice," she laughed. Tris managed a tight-lipped smile, but she kept her eyes on the hallway in front of them. They were almost to the point where they would need to split apart to their respective tables.

"Hey," Chris stopped them in the lunch entryway. Tris could see Tobias glance to them from over her friend's shoulder. She held back her smile as she met Christina's eyes expectantly. "It'll just be a few close friends, not anything big." Tris nodded. Christina sighed. "At least think about it. You need friends." With that, she smiled and turned for her volleyball table.

Tris's eyebrows drew together almost imperceptibly as she took her seat across Tobias. It wasn't like she'd gone out of her way to meet new people, but it wasn't her fault. Social skills weren't her specialty, and not too many people caught her attention in moments when she could initiate conversation. Just this boy. She wasn't quite sure why.

His own eyebrow raised, and he spoke before she had the chance to. "That bad, huh?"

Tris startled, surprised by his sudden outburst. Was she really that obvious? That this boy who barely knew her could tell she was annoyed with her friend?

Hopefully Christina hadn't noticed. She'd have to work on that…

Unfortunately, her surprise stunned her speech. "Um. What?" She coughed a little. He had a tight smile, but he hadn't looked away in embarrassment yet, for which Tris was grateful. This wasn't the most graceful of first conversations.

He cleared his throat a bit, slightly scratching the back of his neck with his free hand as he took a bite. A moment passed, then he swallowed. Tris's face was burning, but she patiently waited for him to comment on her incompetence. "You're friends with Christina. Did she insult all of your life choices, or just a select few?" His voice was teasing. It was a bit forced, but it wasn't to the point where he was making fun of her friend, so she allowed herself to laugh.

"Just the usual 'You need to make friends.' But not many at this school seem particularly interesting, let alone friendly." Tobias let out a sharp burst of air, almost a laugh. It broadened Tris's smile, and her confidence.

He shook his head, taking another bite. "Yeah… Nothing against Christina, but most of the kids here are either too talkative to follow, or too bland to want to. I pretty much stick to myself."

"So I've noticed," Tris replied, trying to dive a bit further into that topic. She wanted to know everything there was to know about this kid. But she didn't want to push him, so she left the sentence a bit open-ended.

Tobias shifted in his seat, placed his elbows on the table in front of him and folded his hands. A defensive move. _I've gone too far. Baby steps._

"So, how do you know Christina?" It was a stupid question, and she mentally scolded herself. _They go to the same school, in the same grade. Of course they know each other, Tris._

But Tobias seemed to appreciate the shift of subjects, despite the pointless question. "She was my neighbor when I was younger."

Tris met his eyes, pleasantly surprised. This was good, interesting. "Really? I guess you did have to see a lot of her then," she chuckled lightly, understanding his slight distaste for Christina's open personality. It wasn't for everybody.

Neck scratch. Elbow shift. Uncomfortable. _Shit, stop making stupid comments_.

But he spoke. "Yeah… Not really. I mean, we rode the bus together."

Tris nodded, realizing she was borderline something he didn't want to talk about. She didn't know what else to say. Something inside of her sank. Maybe they just weren't meant to be friends…

"Christina was the first one to speak to you on your first day, right?" he asked, continuing the conversation. Tris was taken back, but she nodded. He nodded, too. "Yeah, she likes to break the new ones down early."

Tris laughed again, and she enjoyed the easy smile on Tobias's face. "I guess so. She was the _only_ one to speak to me." Another sharp burst from Tobias. It healed her broken hope.

"And yet, you came and spoke to _me_. The last person to be noticed. I have a reputation to uphold, you know. And you just come around and sit down like it's no big deal," he teased, wanting her to laugh again. He liked the sound of it, of the happiness of another person, aimed at him.

But, to his surprise, her face remained straight, her voice deadpan. "It's because you're so approachable." Tobias just looked at her, not sure of how to respond to that. Tris continued, "You know, like a bed of nails."

An actual laugh escaped the boy across from her, rumbling the air around them and making her heart flutter a bit. It warmed something inside her - perhaps it was her pride - to know she could make him laugh like that. He didn't do it often, at least not around her.

"Well, I try," he said simply, a smile still on his face as he looked back to his sandwich. They returned to their easy quiet, but the time between the end of their conversation the end of lunch was much shorter this time.

She thought about Christina's invitation. The more the idea crossed her mind, the more appealing it sounded.

The Tobias part. Not the everything else.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent or any of the Marvel franchise (you'll understand that as you read this chapter :) )**_

Christina's house was awkwardly and unusually quiet as Tris and Tobias stepped through the door. The discomfort was practically radiating off of Tobias's rigid form. Tris didn't blame him for feeling so out of place; the strangers before them had stares that unnerved.

Tris leaned a little close to his side, trying to reassure him. He flinched a bit, but didn't move away, which Tris saw as a victory.

Christina's well-used mouth was the first to open. "Hey, you actually came!"

Tris winced at both the words and the tone of her friend's voice. Mainly because they were more than a little rude, aimed at Tobias as if to make him feel guilty for not wanting to speak with her more often. Tris doubted she meant it like that, or that she meant for her underlying hurt to be evident - she just spoke what first came to mind. But it certainly didn't help to put Tobias at ease.

Before Tris could think of a way to patch the awkwardness, one of the strangers approached them, rising from his seat on the floor to extend his hand. His motions were easy, fluent, like he'd been around people his entire life.

"We're glad you did. It's nice to meet you. I'm Zeke," he said, his mouth tilted in a comfortable smile. He had a very _social_ aura around him, the kind that would surround your overly-talkative uncle who thinks it's okay to make long conversation with the supermarket checkout lady.

The gesture was unfamiliar to Tobias, as was evident from the way he stiffly shook Zeke's hand, but this guy's tone of voice seemed to calm him, a least a little bit. He even attempted to return the smile, although his was much more forced.

"Tobias," he replied. Zeke nodded, his white teeth a flash against his dark skin. Then he turned to Tris.

She shook his hand lightly, not wanting the contact to last for too long, but when she went to pull away after an acceptable amount of time, Zeke maintained his firm grip, his gaze drifting over her body. It was beyond uncomfortable.

"Geez, Chris was right," he started, and Tris prepared herself to punch him if his words led where she thought they might be, "You're really short." A current of laughter came from the floor Zeke had just been on. Tris was stunned for a moment, before she regained enough sense to register the insult.

"Wha-" But she didn't have time to finish as another stranger came up beside Zeke, wrapping one arm around his waist and thrusting the other out toward Tris. She had fair skin and long dark hair, and her curved shoulders shook with laughter. Her smile was wide.

She was beautiful. Tris felt a slight pang of jealousy, but it passed soon after it appeared.

"Hey, idiot, they're not supposed to want to leave until _after_ they've spent hours with your ass," she sang, not breaking eye contact with Tris. "I'm Shauna. Sorry about him."

Tris understood then, that it was simply a joke, that this was just Zeke's sense of humor. So she spread a returning smile across her face and accepted Shauna's hand. "It's okay. I get it a lot." She didn't mention that she'd mainly gotten it from her tormentors in middle school. Too many painful memories she'd worked so hard to overcome. "My name's Tris."

"Well, Tris, Tobias, come meet the rest," Christina requested. Tris glanced over to Tobias, and he to her, locking their gazes for a moment. Tobias smiled smally. Tris grinned.

It had taken a few days to build up the courage, but on Thursday she'd finally told him about the gathering. It had initiated one of their longest and most animated conversations yet, both of them laughing as they argued over the best Marvel hero.

That particular interaction had been cut short by nothing but the bell. Neither of them wanted to leave the other.

But he'd informed her on Friday that he would go if she really wanted him to. "I'll admit I haven't seen the newer Spider-Man movies, so I guess it would be good to catch up before Civil War," he'd reasoned. Which led to another argument, as Tris tried to explain that the new ones weren't that bad, and Tobias insisted that could not possibly be true, that he'd always prefer the original movies.

"So, we'll just go around in a circle. I think they may have already had their fill of unsanitary handshakes," Zeke laughed. Shauna took in a sharp breath of air as she grasped at her heart, looking thoroughly offended. Tris smiled, too, as everyone laughed, relieved and grateful at the shift of focus. She could see herself being friends with this boy; he was a genuinely understanding person. It was an admirable quality, to be able to keep an entire situation under control by keeping everyone comfortable.

Another dark skinned boy practically fell over in all of his fidgety excitement. "I'm Uriah," he proclaimed.

"Marlene," the tan girl beside him said. Her big browns eyes crinkled as she smiled.

Tris waved in acknowledgement before turning to Christina for the next instructions. They'd been standing awkwardly in the doorway to the living room for too long, and she was starting to regret her decision to come over.

Tobias stood still beside her. He'd seemed ready to leave the moment they pulled in.

But her friend's focus wasn't on her. Her eyebrows were drawn low over her hazel eyes, confusion evident on her face. She was looking around her living room, about to lean back to peer through the kitchen island window, before pale arms slipped around her waist, and she jumped.

"Oh my god, don't do that!" she cried, but she was laughing as she leaned into the blonde boy behind her. His green eyes smiled down at her as he pressed her lips to her cheek.

"I'm not sorry," he muttered against her caramel skin. She giggled but was speechless in a way to Tris had not been introduced. It was an odd sight.

But the moment was cut short as Zeke coughed a bit and Uriah spoke up, "You know there are other rooms in this house, right?" The boy's face reddened a bit, but Christina just cleared her throat and turned back to their guests.

Tris had already guessed that this boy was Will, Christina's boyfriend. She'd mentioned him a couple of times before, through stories of her life outside of school, but Tris had never asked her about it. Christina hadn't offered any more, which was unlike her, so Tris figured she didn't want to talk about it.

She wasn't sure why. But she wouldn't ask.

"This is Will. My boyfriend," she grinned. Will nodded to them in acknowledgement, and they returned the gesture.

"Okay, well now that we all know each other, let's order some pizza and put in Captain America," Uriah said, standing from his seat and moving toward the phone.

"Sounds like a plan," Christina agreed, clapping her hands once before pulling away from Will. She walked to the couch and plopped down, and Will followed suit, finding a place next to her. "Keep your nasty ass peppers off my pepperoni this time!" she shouted to the kitchen before turning to Tris and Tobias. "Well, make yourselves at home. Lord knows the rest of them did."

Tris scanned the room briefly. Marlene was still on the floor, leaning against the bottom of the couch with her legs outstretched, and Shauna almost tripped making her way to the other side of the room. Zeke sat beside her on the small loveseat there.

There were two chairs separated by a glass side table. They were turned though, so their edge corners touched each other's. Tris looked to Tobias. He nodded slightly, gesturing for her to go first. So she did.

"So, have you guys seen all of these already?" Marlene asked, crawling to the TV centered against the far wall. She picked a movie off the top of a tall stack beside the DVD player and looked up a Tris and Tobias briefly, a kind smile on her face.

Tris answered first, not wanting to put Tobias on the spot like that. This would give him time to think of an answer, and to process how he would say it. "Not all of them. I've missed The Incredible Hulk and the second Captain America movie. It'll be interesting to watch them all consecutively, though," she said.

"You haven't seen Winter Soldier?" Zeke gasped. "Why? What's _wrong_ with you?"

Tris laughed. "I didn't want to." This caught Marlene's attention, too. She finished putting the disc in and moved back around to join the conversation.

"Really? Why's that?"

Tris shrugged. She could feel Tobias's eyes boring into the side of her skull as she faced Marlene. She tried to shake the odd feeling of nervousness she felt being watched by him so intently. "I don't like Captain America."

She said it simply, flatly, telling the truth. But it brought the whole room into an uproar. Zeke leaned forward in his seat, staring at her incredulously as Marlene rocked back a bit, seemingly shocked.

" _Why?_ " Zeke cried, his mouth slowly curving to a smile around the disbelief.

She would have shrugged again, but she felt the need to explain herself. Her opinions had their reasoning, and if these people wanted to know, then they would. "He's too...perfect."

A bark of laughter came from the direction of the kitchen as Uriah made his way back to his seat beside Marlene. "Too perfect? Is there such a thing?"

"Yeah," Marlene agreed, "his motivation is the safety of his country. He's nice to everyone. A gentleman." Uriah nodded. "And he's hot."

" _Gorgeous_ ," Uriah emphasised. Everyone laughed at his serious expression, even Tobias.

"He's _okay_ ," Tobias corrected, much to Tris's pleasant surprise. She was glad he felt comfortable now, at least somewhat. He had a crooked smile on his face. "I mean, where's the interest in a character who doesn't have flaws? It's like they're forcing his kindness down your throat, telling you 'You need to like him.'"

Tris nodded, "And I don't like being told what to do. So I don't like him."

"What the heck? You don't like him because you think they want you to like him." Uriah laughed. "That's great."

" _Don't_ encourage this, Uriah. These are our _enemies_ ," Zeke scolded, but he was laughing between words.

"Captain America isn't that attractive," Christina added in, her face twisted in thought, as if trying to remember his features.

Uriah gasped, slowly turning to look up at his friend. "No, Zeke," he said quietly. " _This_ is our enemy." And before anyone could say anything else, he jumped from his seat and grabbed a pillow from the couch, thumping Christina's shoulder with it as playfully hard as he could.

Time froze for a moment as everyone in the room processed his action. Will was the first to speak. "You're dead, dude."

"Run!" Shauna shouted as Christina slowly stood from the couch.

Uriah screamed as he sprinted to the kitchen and slammed the door shut. Everyone was laughing, even Tobias. Tris looked over to check. She felt a lot better about all of this, knowing that he was enjoying himself.

Tobias looked back at her, and his smile grew to a size she'd rarely seen before.

"Uriah Pedrad, I swear to _god_ , I'll-" Christina's anger was cut off by a knock at the door. The kitchen door flew open and Uriah charged past his pursuer.

"Pizza!" he shouted, grabbing his wallet from the floor and running to the door. Christina broke down then, leaning against the wall in defeat, laughing at her obnoxious friend.

Tris stood to catch the pizzas as the delivery man handed them over. There were 9 in total, for the eight of them to share. It was overkill, Tris thought as she held half of them, but perhaps they didn't agree on pizza toppings or something. She knew she'd be happy with whatever, as long as everyone else got what they wanted.

They all grabbed paper plates and divided up the pizza before re-settling in their seats. Any playful argument was forgotten as they all ate, waiting for the opening previews to play on the disc. Shauna had turned out the lights when they came back into the living room, creating a perfect movie-watching atmosphere. Tris allowed herself to curl up in the chair, feeling comfortable enough around these people to do so. She could definitely see herself calling them her friends.

She bit her tongue as they made it to the end of the first movie and started talking about how great it was. She wasn't going to take the enjoyment from them.

Just as Zeke brought up the topic of everyone's favorite movie Avenger, Tobias leaned over the side table, whispering, "Now's your chance. Shut 'em all up with your favorite." Tris chuckled a bit, nodding once.

"Definitely the Hulk. I like that he's conflicted with himself. It makes him interesting," Tobias replied, when the question got back around to him. Tris nodded. The two of them had already had this conversation.

"Yeah, I like how he's portrayed in the Avengers by Mark Ruffalo, but I don't know if that actor would have been able to do Hulk justice in the Hulk movie," Shauna provided. They talked for a couple minutes more about that topic before Tobias spoke again.

"So, Tris, would you like to share with the group who your favorite is?" He had a devious smile on his face, as if he was releasing some sort of monster. Which, in some way, he was. Tris was very sure of herself, he'd come to admire, and that meant she had firm beliefs and opinions. One of the more adamant of those beliefs was about to be shared…

Tobias was excited to watch. Her energy was contagious. The way she could get so worked up and inspired by something so trivial, and the way her stormy eyes caught flame when she did… It was more than a little intriguing. He felt lucky to be present in those little moments, as if he was witnessing the meaning of life itself. It was beautiful, brave, explosive. Confusing. Amazing.

"Iron Man. All the way," she said, no hesitation. She was the only one in the group to have

that particular favorite, just as Tobias was the only to like the Hulk, and everyone seemed either confused or intrigued.

Uriah laughed. "Why? He's like the only one who doesn't do anything." Tris's gaze shot to the source of the criticism.

"Yeah. He relies entirely on technology. He's not even a real hero. Remember how he was only asked to be a consultant at first?" Zeke asked.

"And how he was the entire reason anything bad happened in Age of Ultron?" Uriah finished.

Tris's brow furrowed. Tobias leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. This would be interesting.

She began to speak. "Remember how he was at the beginning of Iron Man? He was the bad guy then, too. But when he realized that, he went out of his way to make things right. To _change_. He didn't want the death of innocent people by his weaponry. He is the _only_ Avenger who fights for both himself and other people. He is Iron Man because he wants to maintain his sanity, to reassure himself that he isn't a bad person.

"Yes, he's narcissistic, and slightly arrogant. But he realizes these flaws and uses them when he fights. He is always trying to improve himself, and yes, he makes mistakes on the way, but his journey is real, and that's why I love him.

"Because he is the epitome of human nature. He isn't perfect." She gave Uriah a pointed look at that, referring to their previous argument. Tobias bit back a laugh. She really was something.

Zeke raised his hands in defense. "Okay, okay. You can have Iron Man," he laughed, and Tris seemed to realize what had just happened. Her face flared red, and the fire in her eyes dwindled to a small ember as she sank back in her chair. She hadn't meant to go that far. They'd probably think she's crazy…

"I think that's cool," Uriah said. "That you can think about things like that. To see the good in people who continue to go on despite their badness."

Tris smiled. Marlene put in the next movie.

Tobias looked at Tris, and she looked back, content on both of their faces. They still barely knew these people, but their opinions, their personalities had been accepted so far. And that meant so much to the both of them.

Tris had changed his life so much, Tobias realized abruptly. She brought him out of himself, out of the dark, and introduced him to a light so intense he couldn't imagine losing her. She was his first real friend in years, and he was beyond grateful for her flame.

It would take him a while to realize she felt the same way about him.


	4. Chapter 4

"Christina reminded me again today that we're allowed to sit with her and her volleyball friends," Tris said nonchalantly, studying Tobias for his reaction. It had been two weeks since their movie marathon, and they were a lot closer. She knew Tobias wasn't really comfortable with the idea of sitting with a bunch of girls he didn't know, but she felt like she should tell him anyway. Plus, she felt a sense of victory and warmth whenever he said to her aloud how he felt.

His nose scrunched up in the way it sometimes did when he was faced with a distasteful offer. Tris smiled a bit, involuntarily. It was endearing; he probably didn't even realize he did it.

After swallowing a bite, he brought his sandwich down so Tris could see his entire face. His ocean eyes bore into hers as his brow furrowed.

"Do you want to? We can, if you do," he proposed. Tris shrugged. She didn't really have an opinion, just that she wanted to be with Tobias, and she wanted him to be comfortable.

It was sweet that he was leaving the decision up to her, despite him not wanting to go. His face had already gone back to the neutral expression to which everyone was accustomed. He didn't want her to be influenced by his opinion.

He was an extremely kind guy. Tris felt powerful with that knowledge. It was like a secret only she was allowed to know. She admitted that she could get a little protective of him at times. Like whenever their group of friends got together and everyone was talking, she made sure she was a part of whatever conversation Tobias was. Not just because she enjoyed talking to him, which she immensely did, but because she didn't want his secret to be given to anyone else. At least, not more than it had been given to her. She did want everyone to see how amazing he was. He deserved that.

She had an irritating, heart-breaking feeling that he didn't hear it enough.

"I don't really care," she told him. Tobias's mouth rose a bit, just in the corner.

"Every time those words leave your mouth, I know you're lying," he teased. Her face flushed a bit. She hadn't realized she was so transparent.

"No, I really don't have a preference. I just want you to be comfortable." The last sentence was almost inaudible.

A pause. _Have I gone too far?_ His silence was unsettling, and she was about to gloss over her outburst, but he smiled, a bit.

"I'm comfortable when I'm with you."

Tris looked up. He was looking down, his hand behind his neck again.

She swore she saw red creeping up his face. It made her grin.

His free hand rested on the edge of the table, gripping it tightly as he worked passed the nervousness. Tris saw the white of his knuckles, the discomfort of his body language, and she was suddenly struck by a surge of bravery.

Well, bravery or stupidity. She wasn't quite sure she cared.

In the moments before the bell rang and everybody crowded around them and their moment, she reached across the table, gently coaxing his fingers from the edge and locking them with her own. An undeniably pulse tingled through her palm, but she ignored it as she met his wide, surprised eyes.

She smiled. "Good."

 _ **A little bit of FourTris development in this one :) Hope you all enjoyed it! Let me know what you think!**_


	5. Chapter 5

Tobias had a crush on her. The thought hit him hard and fast, startling him with its intensity, especially since they were in a room full of other people and she wasn't even talking to him.

But she was beside him, her hand gently on top of his under the table. She was trying to comfort him, and whether she knew it or not, it was working.

Her laugh pulled him halfway from his reverie. His eyes drifted to her face, watching the way it lit up with her eyes at whatever she was talking about. She was striking, and in moments like this, when she came alive, it felt like every fiber in his body was lighting up with her.

Christina laughed, too. "Lay off, Shauna. Frigidity is in her nature," she teased. Tobias's eyebrows furrowed a bit. He'd missed whatever it was they were talking about, but judging by the way Tris's face flushed beside him, and she wouldn't meet his eyes, it was something she was glad he missed.

He wasn't sure whether or not he should laugh at the bright red on her face. In the end, though, when her eyes widened and eyebrows raised, as she insisted, "I am not _frigid_!" he couldn't help but chuckle.

Tris turned at the sound of Tobias's laugh. A part of her was glad he was enjoying himself, especially since she'd been feeling a wave of guilt for asking him to sit here with her, but the larger, stubborn part of her caused her to glare. It made him laugh more, and her scowl faltered a bit.

She'd been thinking about him a lot recently. The way he went to so much trouble to make sure she was happy, and the way his eyes held oceans and secrets and pain but also warmth. He had been polluting her thoughts since day one, but this moment was the first time she allowed herself to admit he'd been clouding her emotions, too.

Her hand was still resting on his. She thought about what Shauna had just said. It was obvious Tobias hadn't heard her words, her suggestion. He wouldn't be laughing if he had. In fact, as she looked into his crinkled sapphire eyes, she wondered how he would react to the idea of them being together.

But she chased the thought away. She couldn't afford to think things like that. Their friendship mattered too much to her.

The next day, he had every intention of sitting with Christina and her friends again. If it would give him the chance to see Tris look so happy, or laugh so intensely, he absolutely wanted it. But when the bell rang for lunch, and he followed Tris to her locker, she informed him they'd be sitting alone again.

"I just...kind of want some quiet, you know?" she explained nonchalantly, turning around to face him and leaning her back on her locker. The metal chilled her entire body.

Tobias knew that was only part of the reason, but he didn't press the issue. Instead, he smirked. "Too much Christina?" he teased, landing in step beside her as she moved towards the cafeteria. She smiled, too.

"Something like that," she muttered. In reality, she didn't want to push his comfort level by making him sit there again. And, she admitted, she didn't want to risk him hearing another comment like Shauna's.

She glanced over at him as they walked. He had a small smile on his face, his movements easy and comfortable. She wondered if he ever thought about her the way she did him, but it was a stupid thing to think. This whole situation made her head spin. He was the sweetest, most intriguing person she'd ever met, but she didn't know if the feelings she associated with him were because she actually possessed any attraction or if they were simply there because she'd spent her entire life going to an all-girls' school.

The lack of control she had on herself when it came to him fascinated her. She wanted to see how far she could go, but she didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

So they sat at their usual table, its emptiness not at all helping the curious anxiety building inside of her. It felt like Tobias was a million miles away, now that she wasn't able to feel the warmth radiating from his body, to hold his hand.

Her eyes drifted to his mouth, and she briefly wondered what a kiss would feel like...

"So, I saw Zeke today," Tobias started, breaking Tris from her thoughts. She was grateful for the distraction, and offered her full attention to his words.

"Really?" she asked, "What did you guys talk about?" A part of her wondered if that was too nosey to ask, but her curiosity won out. It wasn't often Tobias started conversation, and certainly rare that he talked to anyone but her by himself.

Tobias shrugged. "He wanted to know if we'd go with the group to see Civil War this weekend. I guess this is the first Saturday where they're all free." He decided to leave out the part where Zeke questioned his and Tris's relationship. As if there was a relationship there.

Not that he was opposed to the idea, he just had no idea how to go about initiating it. And he told Zeke this, accidentally. He'd been realizing he had little self control when it came to Tris, and the words came tumbling out just at the mention of her.

Zeke had grinned. Given him an idea.

"Oh, awesome. I'm excited to see Iron Man _destroy_ Captain America, and for Uriah to bow down and surrender," she grinned, her eyes burning blue flame. It drew out an answering smile from Tobias, despite his slight nervousness. He laughed at her excitement, and the way her hands were now balled into fists on the table, a wild energy emanating from her in an irresistibly attractive way. He was startled by the abrupt urge to press his lips to that grin of hers, but it was not an unwelcome idea.

"Yeah, I can't see how Cap has any chance against Iron Man, Black Widow, Rhodes, The Vision, _and_ freaking Spider-Man." He thought for a moment, then frowned a bit. "Even though it's a _different_ Spider-Man. Again."

Tris laughed at the way his nose was scrunched. Spider-Man would definitely have been Tobias's favorite if Marvel could make up their mind about who they wanted him to be. It was very frustrating to Tobias, and she found his frustration endearing.

"I know. But at least Captain America has Ant-Man," Tris deadpanned. That was another Marvel movie she'd refused to see, but upon watching it at Chris's house, she didn't understand the hype. But that could just be her.

Tobias laughed now, too. Her sense of humor was always unexpected to other people, since she appeared so tiny and innocent. But he didn't see her as that, and he'd come to know she was brilliant, frighteningly so, and that lent itself to the dry, sarcastic humor he'd come to love. She constantly had him laughing with her surprising comments.

"Alright. We can carpool to Christina's. I'll drive," Tobias offered. Tris had driven them the last couple of times, but he had something up his sleeve…

Tris smiled, slightly surprised, but she agreed.

As the bell rang, and she waved her goodbyes to him, Tobias couldn't help but hope she'd handle it well. Just three more days before he'd tell her everything…


	6. Chapter 6

**_Sadly, this is the end. I hope you like it :)_**

"That was awesome!" Zeke laughed, his arm thrown haphazardly over Shauna's shoulders. She grinned as she pressed a kiss to his cheek, walking with a sort of bounce in her step. Christina had the same one, but she was consumed in Will, not really paying attention to the rest of them, even though they were walking to the parking lot together. It was two in the morning, and Tris supposed that was why they were all acting so… light. Something about being out this late on such a clear night was freeing, exhilarating.

There was an energy laced through the entire group, and Tobias could feel it rolling

off of Tris in waves as they walked beside each other. Her grin was contagious as she talked animatedly with Uriah about the movie they'd just seen, and it crashed bravery through him. When he slid his hand into hers and entwined their fingers, he felt stronger, like he could conquer anything. It gave him hope. Eased the nervousness for what would come next…

Tris's eyes didn't move from Uriah, as they were deep in discussion, but Tobias didn't miss the way she squeezed his hand, the way her smile grew just a bit.

Zeke threw his other arm around Tobias, and he jumped. He hadn't even noticed him come up beside him. Was she really that distracting to him?

His answer was given as his eyes drifted back to hers on their own accord.

Zeke didn't miss this. He laughed, leaned closer to Tobias. They were friends now, and Tobias was comfortable enough around him, but Zeke was pushing it with this contact. Still, Tobias let it slide. He was just trying to be a good friend, after all, and Tobias appreciated that.

"So, you gonna take her to the river?" Zeke whispered, his grin obvious even though Tobias couldn't see his face.

Tobias could feel the red rising in his neck. He scratched at the back of his hairline, but he was grinning. He nodded once, slightly, and it was enough for Zeke to remove his arm, clapping him on the back.

"Good," he muttered.

They made it to Uriah's car first, and he, Marlene, Christina, and Will said their goodbyes before getting in.

Next was Zeke and Shauna's. Shauna hugged Tris, and so did Zeke. He'd become close to them both these past couple of weeks, and he was excited to see them together after tonight.

He extended his hand to Tobias, despite knowing his discomfort in the gesture. He wanted his buddy to know that he believed in him, supported him. There was no way Tris would reject him; he'd seen the way they looked at each other.

"Thanks, Zeke," Tobias said quietly. He didn't think he would be able to do this without his new friend's encouragement. Zeke simply nodded, as if what he'd done was minimal.

"See you guys," Tris waved, turning with Tobias to walk to his car. She didn't want the night to end. There was so much energy pulsing through her, both from the adrenaline of the movie they'd just seen, and the electricity sparking between their hands. Nothing inside of her was even remotely tired, but she knew she'd have to let go when they reached the silver Buick.

But Tobias slowed when she was about to let go. He looked her in the eyes, and she held his gaze challengingly. She was so alive right now, her expression burning, and Tobias again felt the urge to crash his mouth to hers.

He looked down at their hands. Her fingers were idly playing with his, and he loved how comfortable it felt, how natural. Perhaps tonight would be good, after all.

"So…" Tris started, not knowing what to say and only trying to break the silence. It had been growing more and more intense, and she was nervous she'd do something stupid if he kept looking at her like that.

Tobias wasn't sure how to start the inevitably awkward conversation, but he knew he wanted to do this. Before he could process what was happening, the words were blurting out of his mouth. "We should go somewhere."

And then it was out there and he didn't know what to do but he knew he wanted this more than anything so he just watched her and waited.

It took a second for Tris to process his words, but when she realized he wanted tonight to last as long as she did, a grin spread across her face. "Okay," she stated.

Tobias sighed in relief, not being able to keep himself from pressing his lips to her knuckles before dropping her hand and heading to the passenger door. Tris watched him for a second, not sure of how to respond to the electricity searing through her, but she accepted the open door and got in.

He took a deep breath before going to his own door. Tonight was very important. He had to be very sure to watch her reactions to his words and movements, to make sure he wasn't scaring her away or making her uncomfortable.

And he had to make damn sure she wouldn't leave him for this. He needed her so much it hurt him to think of losing her. She brought him back to life; surely she held the power to bury him again.

"So where are we going?" Tris asked, breaking the quiet. So far he hadn't said anything to her, hadn't even looked over at her as he drove. She kept telling herself that was because he was driving and his eyes were on the road, but she couldn't help but feel like something was upsetting him, making him nervous.

Tobias almost jumped at the sound of her voice. He'd been so lost in thought, trying to imagine this conversation and how it would go, he'd almost completely forgotten she was there. Of course, he knew that wasn't really true. His whole body buzzed with awareness, with the smell of her and the sight of her blonde hair out of the corner of his eye.

He didn't want to look at her. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to look away, which wasn't best when he was driving. He made a mental note that when they arrived at the river, he would give himself a moment to stare directly into her eyes. They would give him the strength and courage he was looking for.

But she had asked him a question, hadn't she? His mind wracked, trying in vain to remember her words, but everything was too jumbled up, too clouded with everything _Tris_.

She could see his brows furrow a bit. It didn't seem like he'd even heard her. She sighed a bit, her own face creasing in concern as she reached her hand out to his right arm. His fists had been gripping the steering wheel like a lifeline, but at the feel of her touch, he relaxed immensely.

His entire body sagged under her gaze. Her touch provided him with a relief he couldn't describe, couldn't explain. And her voice now seemed like the only thing in the world. "Hey," it whispered, "where'd you go?"

When his eyes finally drifted to hers, she smiled a bit. Not a full-on grin, since he didn't seem to be in the mood for that, but a kind, gentle smile. An understanding one. She wanted him to know that no matter what, whatever was bothering him, he could talk to her. Always.

He smiled, too. It made her heart flutter. "Down a rabbit hole, I guess," he replied before his eyes moved back to the road. There were only a couple of minutes left to this drive, he knew, but he made a conscious effort to look over at her periodically. He wanted to make sure she was still there, that she hadn't turned him away, but he'd also seen the insecurity in her eyes. He wanted her to know that he wanted her here, needed her with him. And that he wasn't tense because of anything she'd done.

Tobias stopped the car in a patch of gravel just off an empty back road. Tris was confused, having never seen this place before, but she was curious, too. She trusted Tobias as he grabbed her hand and led her into the side-lining trees.

After a minute or two of walking, she could hear the sound of moving water, and abruptly she realized where they were. It was the Chasm, the river she'd used to visit with her brother as a child, back when they were still a happy family…

But she didn't let those memories flood what was happening now. Tobias's hand was in hers, after all, and her mind only focused on that and the energy twisting between them.

He pulled her to a relatively flat rock near the water's edge. Tris sat down and watched the water for a second, listened to the crickets. It was a clear night, the type where you can see every single star in space, and she could in the reflection of the water. Her eyes closed automatically as she took a deep breath. The air here was pure, and it made her feel new.

Tobias watched Tris as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, her blonde hair draping behind her, and the way her body arched made something inside of him ache. He was still holding her hand.

They sat there for what seemed like hours, content with the dark and the serenity of the beauty around them. But eventually, as the air started to turn a bit colder, Tobias remembered why he'd brought them here, and turned to her.

She watched him expectantly. He'd looked like he had something to say all night, and now that he was ready to speak, she was more than willing to listen.

"Tris," his voice wavered a bit, and he cleared his throat, started again. "Tris," he started, "you're my best friend, you know?" Her brow furrowed, but she smiled, nodded. He nodded, too. He seemed to be reassuring himself. "You should know about me, about… my life."

Immediately she could see his discomfort, and she wanted to wrap him in her arms and never make him speak again. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, Tobias," she told him firmly, and he was grateful for her concern, but he needed to do this.

He shook his head. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. "No, I want you to know." But he swallowed, a look of confusion crossing his face. All of the planning he'd done in the past three days, in the drive here faded away, and the only thing he could think to do was show her. At least that way he wouldn't have to taste so much of the story.

Tris watched intently as he turned his back to her and reached for the edge of his shirt. When it was over his head, he was silent, waiting for her to take in the image before her.

Her eyes widened at the sight of his mutilated skin. There were white scars etched into his back, over almost every inch of possible space. She couldn't help but run her fingers across them, tracing bad with good. She felt him shiver.

Abruptly she remembered previous conversations she'd had with him, comments he'd made occasionally, about his less-than-perfect "family" and his disappeared "mother," and it all made sense. His quietness, his insecurity, his trust issues. Her hands balled into fists as she moved them from his skin.

Her hands were no longer touching him. Anxiety coursed through him, fear of rejection and loss as his mind fast forwarded through all of the different scenarios. Was she disgusted by his weakness? Did she pity his past?

He was terrified of every thought, and he wanted nothing more than to go back to the car and never speak to Tris again, but he forced himself to stay in place. Because he knew what he _really_ wanted, and leaving Tris was not going to get him that.

His heart stopped as she spoke. "Your father." An involuntary shudder brushed through him at the phrase, since Marcus hadn't ever been _that_ to him, but he nodded. She really was extremely intelligent. He was grateful for not having to explain.

Tris gritted her teeth and turned away for a second, blind hatred pulsing through her entire being, furious that someone would ever dare to hurt such a loving man. But then she realized he needed her right now, and she tried to calm herself down. She turned back to face him. By the quickening rise and fall of his body, it was obvious he was nervous about how she'd respond.

Did he think she'd turn him away for this? She couldn't let him believe that.

Her hands landed gently on him again, and he released a breath. But then they were sliding over his back, encircling his waist, splaying across his abdomen. She pressed her forehead between his shoulder blades, and he couldn't think, couldn't breathe.

She was not only here with him, but she was holding him, wrapping him in an embrace so loving he wanted to cry from relief. He wouldn't, of course. He hadn't cried since his mother's funeral.

"You're incredible, you know that?" she muttered against his skin, feeling a new layer of awe at this man's bravery. He'd endured so much, and he'd only come out a better person. She was so proud of him.

Tobias didn't understand her words, didn't think he deserved them, but that discussion was for another time. Right now he wanted to bask in the relief and love he felt at her accepting him and his flaws, so he twisted her around in his arms, pulling her against his bare chest.

Tris could hear his heartbeat, loud and fast against her cheek. Her skin burned everywhere it made contact with his, running down the length of her arms and her face. He felt so good pressed against her like this, better than she'd care to admit.

They stayed like that for a long time, simply holding each other and letting each other's heartbeat soothe them. But Tobias knew he should probably get her home. Her mother would be worried, since Tris had told her she'd be back by four, and it was currently quarter-til, and he didn't want a bad rep with her mother. She seemed to like him so far, which was good, but he wanted to keep it like that.

He liked to imagine that his own mother would like Tris, if she hadn't been batshit crazy and left him like she did. He liked to pretend he was normal when he was with Tris since she made him want to be better than he was.

But Tris also made him feel worthwhile, something he'd never believed of himself before, and as he lifted them both from the rock and they simply stood there watching each other, he couldn't hold back any longer.

Her eyes were bright blue in the moonlight, and he was consumed by their intensity.

His eyes were black in this light, their depths threatening to swallow her whole. She wasn't sure she'd mind too much if they did.

They weren't sure who moved first, or if they both moved at once, but suddenly their lips were pressed together, gently caressing, exploring, testing the feel of each other. This was new to both of them, and neither was quite sure what to do, but Tobias did know that he wanted to feel more of her, so he brought his hands to her cheeks, feeling them warm beneath his palms.

Her own hands ran up his spine and through his hair. It made him shiver, and she smiled slightly against his mouth.

Their kiss was slow, gentle, but it was sure of itself. Tris pulled back first, simply because she vaguely remembered something about needing oxygen to survive, even though her hormone-induced brain wasn't too keen on the idea.

Tobias grinned when they separated, lacing their fingers together and pressing his forehead to hers. Their eyes were closed, but they could feel each other's breath against their faces.

Tris was the first to speak, and her voice was soft, sarcastic. Her palms were resting against his chest, and he could feel her fingers curl into loose fists. She chuckled a bit before moving her lips back to his, her words muffled against him as she spoke, "Better than Iron Man."

Tobias couldn't help his grin at that.

 ** _The End_**

 ** _I hope you all enjoyed my little story! FourTris is my favorite ship to write about, mainly because both characters have very dynamic personalities. And I like giving them happy endings :) As I said in the first chapter, for now this is marked complete. But I am open to working on it later, adding more fluff and whatnot XD Let me know what you thought of it! I love hearing what you guys have to say :D Thanks! - Loopy_**


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